


A not so new beginning.

by koalaoshiz



Series: Shift the Stream. [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Under the Red Hood
Genre: Gen, Mention of torture, PTSD, Past Character Death, Past Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-08-24 04:49:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8357956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koalaoshiz/pseuds/koalaoshiz
Summary: When a new player shifts the Red Hood's plan for conquiering Gotham, nobody is certain if the Time Stream is going to stay the same or if this new addition is not going to change everything. For better or for worst.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome in this new series, folks. I've always loved Jason Todd and his nearly clinical plan to take over Gotham City but as some aspect were giving me strangely displeasant vibes, I decided to shift the story around as a 'what if?'. I hope you appreciate the reading.

Patience and carefulness had been wired into his head. He knew when to be bold, when to disappear into the darkness, when to strike and when it was necessary to let a prey go. What he hadn't been prepared for, he learned from his experiences and quickly adapted to it. Being reactive and able to jump back into action was necessary.  
Being thrown into a completely different world wasn't really in his capacities. He couldn't comprehend, couldn't adapt. The first time, he nearly got himself killed. The second time he tried to learn from the differences between each world but that quickly bored him and he made his leave. The third world had been worse than the first. A walking nightmare where everyone was trying to gut him, to make him scream with pain and terror and he had been pretty ecstatic when his Motherbox- sweet, precious Motherbox who was nearly everything for him- opened a new Boom Tube to lead him in another world, scared and wounded, taking with him the arm of an opponent who hadn't been smart enough not to put it somewhere else than in a quickly closing portal leading somewhere else in the Multiverse.  
Ross found himself looking at a foggy sky whose light shone away the stars. A luminous symbol representing a bat could be seen on the heavy belly of the clouds.  
Gotham.  
Or at least, a version of Gotham. He couldn't really tell how it was as he was lying boneless on the rooftop of a building. He could sense himself going into shock and the blood loss was getting worrying. He didn't really care for the moment, he was just tired. He knew sleep wasn't a good thing to think about when you have at least three open wound, a gunshot and probably some broken bones that he would be much wiser to get his poor ass to a clinic but he didn't really cared. He had won the right to close his eyes for a second, or two. Right?  
Right.  
Footsteps on his left. So light he hadn't picked them until now, under the roaring thunder of his bloodstream in his ears. An enemy? An ally? Not knowing frightened him. He couldn't move properly. Shifting to be on his side, right arm under him and near a knife, he lifted his head to see who was approaching. Tactical pants looking heavy with weapons. Holsters strapped to his thighs. Dark body armor and a leather jacket. A red helmet.  
Jason. The Red Hood.  
A version of him, he needed to remember that. A version that didn't knew who he was, who was much younger than his Earth's counterpart. A chill ran up his spine as he reminded himself there were no reasons for this Jason to hurt him. Sure, his arrival might have been surprising and unexpected but he just lay there for a few seconds- only a few seconds? He didn't quite remember and that was dangerous- and didn't step on any of Jason's reason to put a bullet in someone's head.  
"Well, well, well. So you are the one who had been so noisy? Shouldn't a kid like you already be to bed?"  
"Depends" Ross slurred, tongue heavy from blood loss and near loss of consciousness. "Are you here to tuck me in and tell me a bedtime story?"  
"Who are you and how did you get into my territory?"  
This voice wasn't trying to be funny anymore; it was cold and professional, all jokes put aside. He might have get hold on Ross' current situation. The blond boy didn't doubt he looked positively pathetic, lying in the fresh air looking beaten to a pulp. With a severed arm pointed toward him as if it accused him of some crimes.  
"Mare.... Noctem. I fell. Boomtube." It was beginning to be difficult to talk now. His head became as foggy and cloud full as Gotham's sky. But he was still holding on that fake identity as he didn't really wanted to throw away his real one, not where everyone could hear it. He wasn't that dumb, even with evident signs of heavy blood loss. "Know who you are. Know you. Need help."  
As he couldn't continue to hold himself on his side he rolled back on his previous position, his head lolling left and right. He knew the Motherbox was busy stitching the worst of his wounds together- and he was grateful for that- but that didn't meant he couldn't die for lack of real help.  
"How do you know me!?" Surprise and anger from Jason. Incredulity too, probably? That wasn't something he heard in that voice.  
"I-" Ross just shook his head. He couldn't respond. Wasn't able to. He had thrown this expecting some positive reactions from the other boy. Guess it failed. That was a shame. Black clouded his vision and he wondered what facial expression Jason was making under his helmet. Maybe a funny one? With this last thought he loses a hold on his consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A talk and a promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Jason is too observant and Ross have a breakdown.

Waking up hurts, he decided. It seemed to him that every little part of his body was in pain, even if it had obviously been dulled with pain killers. But one thing that goes with a higher regeneration granted by his Motherbox was that drugs, and more importantly painkillers, either didn't worked or its effect quickly left him as his body discharged it nearly as fast as it was injected in his body. Big downside for something that important. The good thing? Other drugs like Scarecrow's fear toxin or Poison Ivy's pollen's effect were somewhat reduced and he could resist a higher dose than a normal human. For the Joker's laughing gas, he hadn't had the courage to test it yet and wasn't really for testing it, too.  
Some things were better when left alone.  
"I know you are awake."  
Nothing could damper the acute senses of a Bat even more when said senses had been sharpened with more lethal training than what Batman gave to his protégés. Ross opened his eyes to a cracked ceiling and a really low priced apartment. No, not apartment. Probably one of Jason's many safe houses. A place he could rent and abandon quickly and easily without leaving any traces. Ross knew how to for learning it first place from the young man in front of him.  
A young man probably still pissed and waiting for a response. Ross groaned, more to express his sentiments toward the dull pain then to appear tough and fearless in front of someone who could- oh so easily- kill him. Especially in that weakened state. He opened his eyes, gathering the faint absence of his mask over his eyes and his clothes, replaced with bigger one and, more importantly, weaponless clothes.  
"I am, but at what cost."  
"How do you know my identity?"  
"Still fixated on that? I know who you are. I am from somewhere else in the Multiverse. Shouldn't be difficult to put two plus two together."  
"And what if I am not the one you think I am?"  
"Well, I would have thrown my only chance to stay alive and would regret not to have been smarter... Jason. I am not your enemy. And I am obviously not your ally. I know you, or I know details about you but you don't know me. I understand that you are wary and probably ready to put a bullet in my head because I know too much." He licked his dried lips not to have them crack and bleed on him and because that left a little pause in his speech to let Jason react. "It would be easy to kill me and leave my body someplace. I already know I don't exist here- yet- and my absence wouldn't even be noticed. I am a vigilant, a Gotham native. I had been taught under the Bat, just like you. And just like you I am not under his mighty judging glare."  
"Why would I trust you?"  
"I don't know. You probably can't. You probably shouldn't."  
Ross sighed and opened his eyes, lifting his body with difficulty to at least be sited and a little bit less pathetic looking.  
"Listen, I... You don't even have to believe me or anything. I will not interfere in your work; I will not snitch on you to Batman. I just... ask you to let me live."  
"If you know so much about me you would tell the old man."  
"Probably. Maybe. But I can't and I won't."  
"And why is that?" That faint surprise tone was here again, hidden behind disdain.  
"If I told Batman, if he don't discover it himself that would change the time stream in some fucked up way. And I won't because..."  
"Because what."  
"Because he would rip the Earth apart to find you and I egoistically don't want him to know. I want... I want to stay by your side" He mumbled, looking away. Jason sat on a sturdy chair near him, pointedly showing his weapons and the obvious lack of it Ross endured. The older boy then gestured toward Ross' chest vaguely.  
"I might have pried a little but it made me curious, the scarification you have. The Robin's symbol one."  
Ross paled at this obvious change of conversation and put a hand over it, looking down and suddenly appearing much smaller and fragile. It wasn't something he liked to talk about, to think about even. That was making something crawl out of the darkest corner of his memories; something that was making him wants to cower somewhere in fear or throw up.  
"It’s not-" his voice broke mid sentences and he frowned, obviously not happy to show such sign of weakness. "It's not a thing I willingly did to myself in some sort of fucked up adoration of the Robin 'legend' and other stupid adjectives peoples use to design the vigilant using that name, if that's what you wanted to ask."  
"Who did this to you, then?" There was an edge of ice in his voice but Ross didn't quite catch it, too busy trying not to roll into a tight ball and hide.  
"I don't know..." Soft voice who barely reached Jason's ears and it made him frown under his helmet. "It happened during the year I can't remember of. I know I wanted... to make a name for myself, to be free and evolve at my own rhythm and then... I was... tumbling into the streets in Geneva with a year of my life just GONE! And they looked at me with pity, talked to me like I was some fragile thing and asked that Martian to look into my fuckin' mind because they weren't happy that I couldn't remember a thing! And didn't trusted me enough to believe me it was true!" He snapped his head to Jason who had taken his helmet off in the middle of his sentence and was looking at him with a tight expression.  
"Someone kidnapped me, tortured me, took the time to erase that damned year of my mind and threw me in the street, as strong as a fucking baby, marked in my flesh as a dammed message!"  
"Noctem-"  
"You know what that message was, for my Batman? «Look how easy to catch your Robin is. Look how easy it is to break his wings. You might want to train the next one better.' That's the damn message!" His breathing was ragged and heavy, too short to be good in the long time and Jason saw that even though Ross hadn't.  
"You might want to calm down."  
"Calm down?! I am not hysteric! I am lucid and asking fucking answers you are not even able to respond to! I am away from my home, I am alone and I am hurt! Being calm is the last thing I want"  
"You are pulling on your stitches." Growling voice who managed to hold on some of Ross' reason as he leaned back into the couch, still furious, still shaking. This voice always made him listen and obey, especially from Jason- of his Earth or others- and the obvious lances of pain in his upper body made him realize he had been a little bit too frantic so little time after being treated.  
"What happened to you....? » Ross threw a glance at Jason and absent mindedly rubbed on the scorched mark of the reversed Robin symbol. "Sounds like what happened to me with the Joker."  
"You think I would lie about something like that?"  
"I don't know you, but even though you seemed sincere."  
"... Thanks..."  
"Don't thank me yet. Also, you know my name but I only know your vigilante name, if that's what it was."  
"It's a temporary name until I settle on something. And my name is Ross. Ross Aberfort."  
Silence settles once more between them and Ross was a bit happy it was more relaxed. He wouldn't have liked it if it had been tenser between Jason and him. After all in his Earth and between all the Robins, they were the closest. It had been something Ross relished and appreciated greatly because Jason was his favorite 'brother'.  
"I always keep my promises, also."  
"Why telling me that?"  
"If you ask me to never lie to you, I will never lie to you again. If you want me to stay away from you, I would."  
"And if I ask you to join me make Gotham a better place, fight the Batman and his little birds and partake in my fights?"  
"I would. But I would also never break my Batman's orders and first rule"  
"Don't tell me: 'don't kill', right?"  
"... Yeah... But I can cripple, that's fine by me. I fight well with a sword and other weapons like that."  
Surprised growl from Jason.  
"I'll think of that. After all, I still don't trust you."  
"I know."  
"Good. Now that is settled, I am going off. You are of good company but I still have work to do until sunrise and nothing will get done if I just stay here chatting over a cup of tea and crumpets."  
He got up and put his helmet back on his head, checking his guns before heading toward the window.  
"There might be some food in the kitchen, I don't know. Keep the couch or take the bed, I don't care, I don't sleep here."  
Ross nodded at the 'instructions', looking to get on his feet as soon as possible. Being idle might be something he could do for hours while being out being a vigilante but in a house, that was impossible. Especially when the urge to clean the place and makes it tidy was becoming stronger each minutes.  
"And before I forget."  
"Hm?" He lifted his head, which he didn't remember being on the arm of the couch as if it was a pillow.  
"Never lie to me."  
And with that last sentence he was off into the night, closing the window behind him to prevent any cold wind to blow into the room and add some sickness to Ross' injuries. The blond boy closed his eyes not so much times after, slipping into a dreamless state. No dream was good for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:  
> Cleaning and eating. Some nicknames are accepted better than others.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans for the future are made and everything is clean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must thanks Mistressterrible and Lady-ofthelake on deviantart for their undying support and patience toward me, my writings and my wild habits of avoiding spell check. Thank you for beta reading it, too.

Jason caught him using the only arm that didn't made his whole chest burst into flames for cleaning one of the two window of the main room of the apartment. The whole place smelled like citrus and vinegar and would be sparkling if it weren't so old and unused for so long. Even though, it was definitely a sight he wasn't prepared for and couldn't hide his surprise. Ross acknowledged his presence with a huff before he paused what he was doing, putting the sponge in the bucket full of foaming water.  
"Can you get your shoes off, please, I'm sure they saw places of incredible dirtiness and I just cleaned the floor."  
"Where did you get the cleaning products?"  
Ross frowned when Jason didn't obey and muttered under his breath, frustrated that what took him the whole day of yesterday would go to waste under such muddy shoes.  
"I bought them. Two days ago. Couldn't stand it, made me itchy and crazy."  
"And the money for it?"  
He looked down at his own feet and the old wood of the floor, seemingly ashamed.  
"Got into a Cyber Café, made myself a bank account and hacked into some drug dealer accounts to wire some money for myself. That sums up all off my capacities in this area. M'not good with computers..."  
"Where you careful? You could have attracted Oracle's attention on you, doing that."  
"I know. And I was! It took me several hours to circle enough not to leave obvious traces. Normally, my Motherbox helps me but you confiscated her along with all my belongings."  
"Since you are talking about that, what are your strong points?"  
Ross tutted and closed the window, frustrated not to have his Motherbox and her warm presence beside him. It also affected how he healed and he resented that deeply. With her far from him, his ribs would take much longer to be strong enough to support a simplified version of his morning training and his right arm was lancing him whenever he lifted it too high. He had placed it near his body with a sling but it hadn't been practical when he had been cleaning so it had been discarded somewhere in the apartment. He cleaned his hands under the faucet before responding.  
"I am fast and know how to disappear. I'm good at gathering information, break into a place and following a target. I may not be good with computers or as strong as you- I'm even the weakest if I go on that- but I know how to stand my ground, how to incapacitate and how to make someone speak. I can also take the pain and am not afraid to dirty myself to fulfill the mission."  
"Oh and-" He added after thinking if what he told was the sum up of his capacities. "I was in med school in my Earth so I guess healing and stitching others pretty good is also something that can be added to the list. I know the difference between a broken bone and a simple sprain, what a concussion is and what sort of medicament to give to someone by the situation."  
With a faint smile, Ross slipped into the bathroom to put back the cleaning products where they wouldn’t bother. Everything in that room sparkled thanks to several hours of works and whining. He was definitely feeling better now that his immediate environment was under control and clean. He thought he definitely was a clean freak, after but that didn’t bothered him anyways. Having somewhere he knew was clean and in order made him feel like he was, in return, in control of himself, of his body and of his thoughts. If that meant someone out there would think he was crazy didn’t bothered him for one bit. He had heard worse and been insulted in ways that could make a sailor ashamed. All perks of the job, he thought dryly.  
“How should I know you didn’t made it up?”  
“You told me to never lie to you. So I don’t. It’s that simple.”  
Jason looked at him for a short moment but said nothing else on that subject.  
“Also, you never asked me about my weak points. So here you go: I’m physically, strength wise, pretty low on the vigilant scale. Computer and technology wise I am not as good as I would like even if I have a precious help from my Motherbox- which I would be very happy you give her back to me soon, thank you- and I have a tendency of neglecting that for as long as I can before not having the choice to do the work. I have also the tendency to underestimate my adversaries which led me into some nasty problems back then. I can hold a gun and aim but touching the target is more difficult.”  
He smiled at Jason with a candid expression that was probably faked even though Jason didn’t knew Ross enough to properly tell.  
“I know English, Swedish, some German and Italian but I am better at hearing it; reading it is kind of difficult for me. Oh and. I lie. A lot. To everyone except those I promised not to.”  
“Is that all?”  
“Well I think. The fact I have a terrible, terrible sweet tooth shouldn’t count in the list.”  
He heard Jason chuckles at that and smiled fondly because that wasn’t something the black haired man did a lot, these times being. Bringing him some reason to be happy was a good enough to stay here, he assumed. He couldn’t leave him all alone and that was a certainty.  
“Are you hungry?” Jason asked him and Ross realized that he was wearing civvies and not his “Red Hood” gears. The fact it was only midday was also a good clue on that but he had been preoccupied by cleaning the apartment and the longing absence of his Motherbox that he had forgot to be attentive. This could have had bad consequences in another situation.  
“I am.” And that was the truth, plain and simple as his stomach growled its indignation for being ignored until then.  
Putting his right arm- luckily not his main arm, the one he used all the time- back into the sling and the left into his new coat, he saw Jason looking at him curiously and after inspection, realized it was because Ross was still wearing the shirt Jason had dressed him into and he quickly hide the blush that was creeping on his cheeks. While it was strange- he had bought other clothes and should have discarded that piece of clothing since the beginning- it smelled like home to him and he couldn’t fathom to throw it away. Being strange was definitely one way to keeping sane, he decided. He also didn’t really care about other people’s opinion on him.  
“Where are we going?”  
“You’ll see.”  
Way to be enigmatic. But Ross shrugged and decided it wasn’t really important as long as he was eating something.  
They got into the street and travelled for a dozen minutes before arriving to a little restaurant that looked like it had seen better days. There, too, weren’t a lot of clients in and that made Ross a little bit wary. Maybe Jason had decided to poison him or something alike.  
“Get that expression off your face, I know the place, it’s pretty good. They don’t have enough money to make it all shiny like in the better neighborhoods. Plus it would be useless; there are peoples who would trash it, or worse.”  
“So… it’s like a sort of camouflage. They look run down to discourage peoples with no respects whatsoever toward honest working people.”  
He got a groan that might be a positive answer as they enter the place. By the- only – waitress greeting, it seemed Jason was a regular customer here as she leads them toward a both at the back of the place and asked if he would take his regular order. Then as he nodded yes, she turned toward Ross.  
“And what’s for you, honey?”  
Usually, Ross weren’t one for pet names and the like but, he looked at the woman- tall, with Venetian blond hairs, grey eyes with a sparkle of humor, wrinkles around it and her mouth, sign that she was one to smile a lot- she pleased to him greatly so he let it go.  
“Maybe a burger with French potatoes, please. It’s been quite sometimes I didn’t ate anything like that. Vegetables are good but I crave some juicy meat.”  
“Of course honey. Anything for dessert?”  
“Ah yes. Do you have ice cream? If not, the lemon pie sounds delicious.”  
“I made it myself.” She looked proud of herself.  
“Then lemon pie it is. I don’t want to insult such kind woman.”  
She giggled and ruffled his hairs, taking well the compliment as she goes to take the order to the kitchens. Ross smiled and decided he liked the place. It didn’t looked like much but the sofa was comfortable, the table squeaky clean and the staff was making him comfortable.  
“This place. You- or the you of my Earth- told me about it. It had been destroyed in the many seism brought by some villains and it had been before I take the mantel. Never got the chance to go to it.”  
“I pity you. I was going here since I was a kid, before my mom died. And I took Bruce here once or twice. Lila, the waitress- she was working here back then, the place is hers- remembered me and kind of keep quiet about my… civil status.”  
“Thank you for bringing me here, then. And to trust me enough for that to happen.”  
He shrugged and played with his napkin.  
“Well, you stayed true to your promises not to lie, so I guess you are not going to stab me in the back anytime soon.”  
Ross pulled a face at that sentence.  
“It’s not something I do to people I know. I prefer them to see who attacked them and why. Going to strike in the back is disrespectful and makes you think you did bad.”  
“That’s one way to think, Ross. Your mind is really curious.”  
“Thank you.” He said as Lila brought their orders and Ross took his fork with his left arm. She seemed to notice the sling and she frowned.  
“How did you got that, honey?”  
Her concern looked real and he decided not to tell the truth because it would shock her greatly and probable makes her locks him somewhere extra-safe.  
“I didn’t caught my partner correctly, simple mistake I made, and tried to undo it while she was mid-air. Long story short, she fell on my, I did my best not to have her hurt and I sprained my elbow. She didn’t got hurt, luckily.”  
“My poor boy that must hurt. Was it in gymnastic?”  
“A little. And no, in dance. What is worse is it’s my good arm so I am stuck doing little things here and there.”  
“And he whines because he can’t do anything else than that. Excuse my Lila, I didn’t presented you. It’s my cousin, Ross. He came here for work.”  
“That is wonderful, where do you work?”  
“At the hospital. I’m a doctor but I’m stuck doing secretary work instead due to my injury.”  
She nodded as she looked at him with new eyes and left them to eat their meal with vows of recovery. Ross smiled all the way until she got to great newcomers and he turned back to Jason.  
“Your ‘cousin’?”  
“From my mother side. I finally got to see my whole family tree and discovered recently that she had a brother who has a son, decided to contact them and we got pretty well together. The son is pretty intelligent and he works as a doctor at the main hospital in Gotham after choosing to work there due to familial events and stays in my apartment until he got enough to buy an apartment for himself.”  
“I’m happy you thought of that whole background for me.” He mumbled around bites of his burger. While he was a bit ruffled behind his feathers because of that, he also agreed with Jason because the meat was perfectly cooked and the bread was a great counterpoint, heavy in sauce. He might have moaned at the taste but he would most likely deny it right after.  
But Jason had a good thought because Ross hadn’t got to that point yet. It was a good idea. It made a perfect reason for them to be together a lot and without being either really creepy or getting into the romance side- which made Ross shudder as he didn’t wanted to have this sort of relationship with Jason- and it made Ross a little bit more real in that Earth. Also, as Bruce and the other bats knew Jason and his family, they wouldn’t associate the dead boy with two mothers and a father dead with the living boy whose mother died, father status unknown with a cousin visiting and staying at his place. That was a good plan.  
“I don’t even have a job at the hospital.” He added while picking at his fries.  
“Yet.” Jason pointed while eating his steak. “We are going to make you a solid identity as citizen of that Earth after getting back to the apartment. Forging legal documents is not going to be really hard, isn’t it? After all, you told me your Motherbox helped with that.”  
“She does.” He whispered, impatient to see her soon. He craved her metallic presence and her absence was rude as she had never left his side for that long before. “She also saved a lot of my info so it’s going to be easy to modify them. Not even B will see the trickery.”  
And he got back into digging his plate off food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:   
> Impatience and thought of the past.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uneventful night and two stubborn boys.

“I’m bored; can I come with you tonight?”  
Jason huffed as he cleaned his guns and verified them, so that they would not betray him during his nightly activity. It wasn’t the first time Ross had asked to follow him but he didn’t agreed just yet.  
“Aren’t you still hurt?”  
“No, not anymore! I’m perfectly healed!”  
“It’s only been two weeks-“  
“-and I feel fine, seriously, Jason! You know I heal faster than normal because of the Motherbox, I showed you. Please, I can’t stand doing nothing! Let me help you!”  
Ross was walking from left to right, throwing his arms in the airs. He was throwing a tantrum and he was aware of it but he couldn’t stand it anymore. Being idle wasn’t for him. He needed to go outside. Civilian life, oh so normal and boring, wasn’t made for him.  
“You gave me that suit, remember? If you didn’t wanted me to help you, you wouldn’t had. I know what you are doing, how you are doing it and I am not against it.”  
“Yet you still look at me weirdly when you saw how many empty clips I bring back at the apartment.”  
Ross looked down, a bit ashamed. It wasn’t like that, not really. It wasn’t that he was against Jason’s methods; he knew them and agreed with them. It was more on the fact it meant Jason could have died and not came back to him.  
“A bullet can be more dangerous than a blade, Jay. And more difficult to treat. I just… don’t want you to get hurt and disappear again. A gun- it’s bullet- can pierce your armor and you could die, just like that. It’s unreliable. But I’m relieved each time you came back. The empty clips just show you fought and didn’t get hurt too badly.”  
He sighed and sat on the couch near Jason.  
“I don’t find it weird or repulsing; I find it oddly comforting because it means you are still living. Kind of a fucked up way to think, isn’t it.”  
Jason snorted and put his gun back on his lap then extended an arm to ruffle Ross’ blond hairs. The boy hadn't pushed him away and leaned on the touch. It was nice.  
“Your way of showing your fraternal love is weirder than that, Ross. And I guess I just don’t want you to attract B’s attention, that’s all. But I know how it is to be the only one holding the fort while the others are out kicking butts.”  
“So that’s a yes?”  
“Yes-“  
“-Hooray!” He jumped off the couch, sauntering around in the room. “I can’t wait! Even if it’s just to patrol and there is nothing happening, it will be good to be out again!”  
Jason rolled his eyes and put his guns back into their boxes until it will be time to take them out and did the same with the cleaning tools and the little bottle of oil. Two weeks and he still wasn’t accustomed to Ross’ personality. Most of the time it was somber or silent, pleasant in a way. The other, he was either happy and singing under his breath or in contrary pissed off at nothing, saying rude things just to make sure Jason was in the same mood as he was. It never extended as them being physically violent toward each other but it always left a sour mood afterward.  
“You guessed right, it’s patrol night. The drug lords don’t have a planned reunion until next week and there isn’t any delivery of any sort tonight.”  
“You took a slow night on purpose, isn’t it?”  
Jason smiled at him like it was a good joke. Ross just shrugged and gave up on that. If Jason didn’t wanted him to go out on an eventful night right now, there was nothing he could do to change that. And, Ross thought, because it was a slow night for them here in Crime Alley, there was no reasons for Batman to be here or go after them. It was win-win on both side of the question.  
“You should go prepare yourself, we are going out soon.”  
Jason said as he got up to get dressed. It was still the same apartment he gave to Ross but he still had some of his gears in a wardrobe here in case of emergency. ‘Or for when he wanted to watch over me like a stressed mother hen.’ Ross thought, quite a bit dryly. But that didn’t bothered him that much. He still wasn’t accustomed to that much attention, sure, but it wasn’t displeasing.  
“Of course, Jason.”  
And he went to his room, excited to finally loosen the knot in his muscles by running on the rooftops.  
His ‘evening wear’, like he jokingly referred to his vigilant costume, was a padded pants with lots of pockets for his weapons and gears, a body armor flexible yet resistant, a short vest that was just more armor and a facial mask in two parts: goggles with red lenses and a gas mask that could be clipped together in one part of be wore separately. The whole costume was in shades of dark greys and black and would assure him to be discreet in the darkest places. He liked that and wouldn’t stop to thanks Jason and how thoughtful he was.  
That made his thoughts loop on how people talked about him in the past, about how angry and ill fitted he was in the hero community; that he wasn’t the best, that he was too impulsive and reckless, too angry and not wanting to sympathize with people his age. That he was just too violent for his own well-being. While some part could be true- and truer due to his nice dip into the Lazarus Pit- it wasn’t all that Jason was.  
He was gentle with kids and helpless women, highly intelligent and well versed in literature. Languages were his specialties. His humor might be a bit strange and ported on dark thoughts but sometimes it would lighten the mood. He also cooked pretty well, something people wouldn’t think off looking at Jason and his powerhouse appearance, just like his encyclopedic knowledge and multiple references of Shakespeare’s work. He also cared, too much sometimes but saying that he wasn’t would be lying. He didn’t even hesitate to take Ross under his metaphorical wings even though he seemed a bit wary of him at first.  
He protected the kids and women of his territory without thinking back and he had a hard time dealing with drugs.  
He had fears and hopes. Little manic and gestures he did without thinking about it, impulsively. He was stubborn yet knew when to let it go- unlike himself, Ross thought. But he was also someone who liked to laugh and be happy, even though he didn’t have a lot of occasions to be these time beings.  
That was all that made Jason and Ross couldn’t stand people making him looking like ‘the bad Robin’, the one who died by his own fault. This. This was something he couldn’t comprehend. How could someone even think of throwing someone’s death, someone’s murder- especially a kid’s one, one who wasn’t even 16 at that time- on them, just like that?  
The Jason of his Earth had told him about that, once. That he knew people who still resented him because he was too eager to have a family when the man he considered his father took back his truth because of an accident. Because he was too eager to be loved and didn’t received enough from Bruce at the time, because Bruce was thinking he was like Dick.  
Dick who got friends easily, who was everyone’s favorite. Because his background wasn’t as somber as Jason’s. Because Jason had replaced him, took his old mantel and thus Dick held a grudge against Bruce and against Jason, making his team of Titans being wary of a 15 years old who wanted to prove too much, to fit into a mold that wasn’t made for him.  
All that made him into a ticking bomb. A ticking bomb whose only wish was to have a mother, his mother back. With everyone either too stuck up or broody to love correctly or being petty he wasn’t fitting into the ‘perfect little boy, perfect little Robin, just like Dick’ mold, his only hope had been in someone who abandoned him at birth, someone he didn’t knew.  
Someone who abandoned him again.  
Someone who gave him to a psychopath.  
Someone he still tried to save.  
Yet everyone was still putting the blame on him.  
Ross decided that he would have gone crazy in those conditions and his respect for the older boy was only growing stronger. He would do anything for Jason if that meant he would smile and tell him about the book he was currently reading, cook for him and bicker with him when they both couldn’t stand memories and aching scars.  
He would even fight against Bruce, against Dick because they didn’t deserve to be with Jason. Alfred was ok. Alfred could come if he ever knew, Ross thought, because Alfred had been cement that held Jason together when he had been in the Manor. Yes. Ross would do anything to stay with Jason.  
“Are you ready?”  
That made Ross jump and he turned around, heart in his throat. He hasn’t heard Jason move and he dared call himself the more perceptive of the two of them? Pathetic. He had been so in his thoughts he lost track of things, but he still find himself fully clothed and vibrating with sheer impatience.  
“You bet I am, Hood.”  
He liked that. He liked the wind on his face, the way the air pushed on and around his body when he jumped, when he was free falling. Liked the adrenaline it gave him and how his body reacted instinctively to compensate when he hit the ground, the rooftops so he didn’t hurt himself. Even though Jason’s territory was small compared to Batman’s- a dozen of blocks, a bit of warehouses here and there and a portion of the Gotham bay with its boat and numerous containers, it was still exhilarating to explore it, to be one with the night again.  
By his side, the dangerous silhouette of the Red Hood, swift and graceful even with his bulk- especially with his bulk, it was so great to see and so amazing to be with him. Ross had agreed to stay by Hood’s side, to not run too fast or disappear in the shadows because Hood was testing his truth, yet again. Or just because Jason didn’t wanted to lose him and find him hurt in some way. They had yet to find people to fight or something to get their attention but frankly Ross didn’t cared that much. He was out of the apartment and he was running. He couldn’t ask for more this night.  
It was great.  
They made a pause on the roof of an abandoned warehouse- who wouldn’t stay like that for too long, crime needs a place to be- and Ross just smiled at Jason, a bit out of breath because even though he said he was healed, his ribs still felt a bit tender. Not that he couldn’t fight nor flee with more serious wounds but it wasn’t pleasant.  
“So, it is a slow night.”  
“Never said it wasn’t”  
“Never said it was, too. You just got my hopes up and now, look; they are gone in the wild. Never to be seen again.”  
“You’ll get your share of fight, Noctem. Just not tonight.”  
Ross began to stretch his muscles, because they didn’t have a chance to get exercise for a while and lost a bit of habitude.  
“When are you going to see the drug lords? You know the ones Black Mask has under his creepy paw.”  
“In a week. I need to verify some things and then I am going to offer them freedom from Blackie.”  
“So you can control them instead.”  
Jason nodded.  
“That’s nice and all but are you going to get them all to work for you so easily? What about B?”  
“Batman is mine, Noctem. If he attacks what belongs to me, then I will go after him. And then I am going to make him learn he should have killed the Joker when I died.”  
Ross shuddered at that name. Even though the clown prince of crime had been an old man in his Earth, he was still dangerous and with the telltale of the other Bats, he hadn’t really been too excited to go after him. He had his share of crazy old people, he thought while distractedly rubbing one of the scars on his belly. This particular one had been ‘given’ by Ra’s Al Ghul and it had hurt so badly he had wished to be drugged to the bones, though it hadn’t been deadly.  
“But before, I will visit the pretender and show him how much it cost to wear my costume.”  
“Hood! No, you can’t do that!”  
Jason turned to him, fists clenched and obviously angry even if his helmet blocked his facial expressions.  
“And why not? He took something that belonged to me! He played hero and got praised for it! Me? Nobody would have said half of the praise he gets. I want it back!”  
“By getting the blood of an adolescent on your hands? Hood, seriously, think about it!” No, come back here!”  
He quickly followed Jason who had gotten off, running away in the vague direction of one of his safe houses. Ross was quick but he still let Jason in front, not wanting to stop him while being at the full view of someone who could watch the rooftops. And when Jason entered his place by the window, Ross wasn’t far behind, taking his mask off.  
“Stop right there, you moron! Don’t you think before acting? Don’t you see you are thinking to do exactly what the Joker did to you? Repeating what had been done to me?”  
Jason stilled and turned his back to Ross, fists still clenched, knuckles probably white under his leather gloves.  
“What are you talking about…?”  
Ross took a softer voice, which he thought would make Jason listen more than when he had been yelling after him.  
“I am talking about trapping an adolescent, bloodying him, marking his flesh as a message, if not for him then for someone close to him. Joker used you to get to Batman. I have been used as a message for my Batman. You are going to use Tim Drake as a message for himself and for Batman. ‘Robins are easy to get, easy to draw blood from. Easy to break. Easy because they are child in a war who wasn’t made for them’. You think beating Tim to a pulp will solve your problems but it will just tell Batman that you are unstable, too keen to lash out on anybody frail or young.”  
He breathed in and out for a bit, calming himself at the same time.  
“You want to leave him a message, but it’s the wrong kind of message, Jason. You know how Bruce thinks. You know how he reacts. He already has lost a Robin by a madman’s hands. How do you think he would react if he gets a Robin broken by another one?”  
“Then what, I leave him be?”  
“Tim Drake is innocent. If he is guilty of something, it’s of helping kids gets hopes. Because Robin is Batman’s light. Gotham’s hope and bright side. Batman needs a Robin and Tim knew that, accepted his role.”  
“Good for him.”  
“Should I remind you were also Dick’s ‘replacement?’ That I am- or will be- taking the costume years in the future? I am as much a replacement as the both of you. And we are all Robins.”  
“Your case is different-“  
“-No it isn’t! Sure, how I took the mantel had been different, nobody had died, Batman wasn’t getting more violent and suicidal each day, but I still took the name and the costume, donned it like it belonged to me.”  
He approached Jason like he would a feral animal who could lash out at any moment notice. It pained him he still was thinking that and he shouldn’t even surprise him. But it did. Jason had been hurt pretty deeply and Ross knew healing wouldn’t be done with only one talk.  
“Please, do whatever you want to Bruce, the Joker or whomever but leave Tim Drake- Robin- out of it. If not for anyone but for me. I know we don’t know each other for too long but consider this a favor for me.”  
Jason still had his back turned to him and he still looked like he was going to hit something but he took his helmet off, which Ross considered progress. A face to face, he could deal. It was exhausting and mentally straining, he just wanted this to stop.  
“Is he your Batman?” Jason spoke in a soft, low voice.  
“No. But he is the one that began training me and supporting me until I got the costume. He is alright, for a nerd.” He joked. Joking was good in this sort of situation, right? Probably, maybe.  
“What about me?”  
“I thought you didn’t want to know this. That you didn’t want to be forced in being someone that wasn’t ‘you’?”  
“Ross…”  
“You… You didn’t felt like Dick, like Tim. Both of them where friendly and supportive, helping me train and with my civil life. You were feeling more like a brother, more than them. You were always here when I needed a break, always here to talk or laugh or do something that would infuriate my Batman. I’m not saying they weren’t like that but you, the you from my Earth were just easiest to talk to, to be with. You just saw me and never tried to mold me or intoxicate me with too much hugs. Never judging or almighty. Even after. After…”  
“After that year?”  
“I changed, Jason. I changed so much. Because I had to, because I needed a hard shell to protect myself. And I hurt my friends, my family because of it. But you understood me. Let me punch you with all I got when it became unbearable, let me cry and scream and fall.”  
“Because it happened to me and I understand, is it?”  
Ross shuddered and put his arms around himself, as if to warm or protect him against something. It felt wrong to shift the conversation to him, like that. It was wrong to tell all these things to Jason here because it would change how he reacted to him, how he would look at him. And he didn’t want that.  
“You had, have, the excuse of the Lazarus Pit. It mess with the brain, makes you fixate on getting something to help deal with all the magic gizmo and all but me? I was fine at the end of the day. I hadn’t died. Hadn’t taken a dip into a magical, hellish green pond.”  
“You just got tortured during a year, Ross. You shouldn’t take this so lightly or even compare. It can’t be compared. Dying sucks, sure but being tortured? I know people who had been tortured for a whole week and got out a bloody mess. Got catatonic or can’t stand physical contacts anymore. And you?” He gestured to Ross with one hand, slightly shaking. Or was it Ross who was? He couldn’t know. Didn’t really care.  
“You got tortured a year. And you were what, 15?”  
“16.”  
“Exactly! You are strong, Ross; stronger than most people I know. I trust you and I believe you. I know Talia set the table against the Pretender when she told me about him and she took advantage of my messy brain, my want to get what I lost back.”  
“You don’t want it back?”  
“If I do, I am not sure there is going to be a Robin after me. Meaning you would never be Robin.”  
“Never be tortured. Thinking like that, I kind of want you to do it.”  
“But I won’t. Not anymore. You were right, I have my hands full with the drug cartels, Black Mask and Batman and Joker. Robin would just slow me down.”  
Ross snickered, feeling tears prickling his eyes. He didn’t know what to think, now. It had felt relieving to tell Jason, to have him understand but at the same time, it left a little sour note at the ‘what ifs’ that came with his decision. What if he hadn’t be Robin? What if he never got tortured? At the end of the day, it wouldn’t be him and it was something he didn’t wanted. Messed up or not, scarred or flesh bare, he had become someone he would be proud of and that was good.  
“Jason?”  
“Yeah?”  
“Thank you. For listening and understanding me.”  
“No probs, squirt.”  
“Can you maybe find another nickname?”  
“We’ll see. Now, go to bed. Tomorrow will be more eventful, I guarantee you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:  
> Smell of antiseptic and nervosity.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stress and irritation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been stress writing for the past few days so I have one chapter already written, although I will be posting it later this week.  
> Thank you all so much for reading it and leaving kudos, it means a lot to me.  
> I hope you'll enjoy this new chapter and happy halloween!

“-And I told him he could put that syringe somewhere deep if he continued talking to me like that and that shut him up. Seriously!”  
“Huhu…”  
Ross blinked slowly at his colleague’s banter. Nathalie Frank was, for the few months he had known her, a deadly talker. Once she had you grabbed you into a conversation with her, there was no way out. No ways but to listen to her- or pretend to- while she either exhaust herself out or grab a new, unsuspecting victim.  
As a whole, he didn’t cared. He wanted to fill that damn exit bill in peace. How infuriating he had been busy being at the front desk filling papers more experienced doctors reserved to ‘fresher’ ones. To be caught like that, how shameful.  
He tried to recall the subject of the conversation- something about a patient who couldn’t help but sweet talk the female nurses- but even that didn’t grasp his interest. Yesterday night had been quite eventful and he still had difficulties differentiating both aspect of his life, even more when he only had two hours of sleep last night. While he had been trained to function with few hours of rest, it still sting a little when your job was as eventful- and sometimes, as boring- as being a doctor in Gotham General Hospital.   
His body was aching and he had put makeup over his bruises this morning. All people could see was that he was a bit stiff. ‘I got a big dance competition soon, I need to train twice as hard’ he had been telling people all day. For the most part, it wasn’t a lie. He had needed a distraction from both works and had chosen to get dance lessons. He had yet to regret it with how full his life seemed to be but not now. He was just enjoying a normal routine.  
If it could be considered normal.  
“-But then he had actually got flowers for me and that was the sweetest move you could think off. You know I can’t refuse a romantic.”  
That broke Ross out of his hazy state. She was still talking to him and expecting a response but he had lost the conversation a while ago. Quick, something in the same vein as what she had just said. Anything not to be seen as more of an asshole as he wants them to think he is.  
“Isn’t it a bit outdated? Most people find it lame, nowadays. Now it’s a drink that gets you the girl. Or jewelry.”  
“I wouldn’t say no to both but when you are in chemo, it’s a bit hard to have enough time to do any of it, don’t you think?”  
“Yeah, you might be right.”  
“I know I am. What about you? You never talk about the life behind ‘Doctor Aberfort’. Tell me, someone on the grill?”  
“Nobody in sight, thank you.”  
“I know a someone who-“  
“-Please no!”  
She looked shocked at his outburst and he was, too. That wasn’t like him to react like she just handed him a rotten thing but he hadn't wanted anyone to arrange his sex- and or romantic, he wasn’t picky- life like he was impotent.  
“I mean, it’s kind of you, but my last relationship had been quite chaotic and I am not ready to commit myself to someone else but Miss Medicine.”  
“If you ever change your mind, I know-“  
“-Excuse me?”  
Hallelujah saved by the gong. He made a face to Nathalie while turning to the person at the desk-  
And had to use all his training not to freeze like a deer in the lights. Today was just getting worse each minute passing.  
Dick Grayson was standing in front of him, sweet- fake?- smile plastered on his face while he leaned on the desk slightly, seemingly in his element between busy nurses, busy doctors and busy patients. And just like Jason, he was so alike, yet so different from the Dick Grayson from his Earth. There was the same smile, the same twinkling blue eyes- bright, oh so bright- the tamed black hairs and that lean, powerful gymnast body. Yet, he was so much younger. It made him look wilder, in a way.  
“What can I do for you?” He used his business voice as he didn’t trust his normal one to do the work without breaking or being weird.  
“My little brother got into an accident last night and I’m here to see how he is going. Can you maybe indicate me his room?”  
Polite as ever; Ross threw a look at Nathalie and nearly scoffed at how entranced by bird boy she was. But he couldn’t blame her; he was quite handsome and damn knew it well.  
“Of course. Name, please?”  
Doing as if he didn’t knew either of them would only work sometimes but it was satisfying to do. Plus it wasn’t like he had the time to read the gazette to see who billionaire Bruce Wayne lastly got under his metaphorical wings.  
“Tim Drake.”  
“Let’s see” He began to type on the computer while getting a look from Nathalie. Yes, he had stolen the spotlight of Dick’s attention but she wouldn’t get him out of the hospital quick enough to his liking. He had to take it to himself to do the work. He didn’t wanted any of them in his legs before he was ready to come out to them, under his conditions- that he already had told Jason- or else it would be too stressful for him.   
“Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne. Motorcycle accident, concussion and sprained knee. Room 239. I am accompanying you; I need to see how it goes. You might have him back sooner than you expect.”  
“Thank you, Doctor… Aberfort” He had caught sight of his nameplate of course. Curse him and his oh so wonderful politeness.  
“This way.”  
He leaded Dick toward the elevator, ignoring his colleagues who tried to converse with him. Couldn’t they see he was busy? He didn’t really understood how people could ignore such obvious things like these. Plus he wanted the Bats out of this damn hospital before they get on his nerves and he made a wrong step. Entering the elevator with Dick, he pushes the second level button, purposefully ignoring the taller man beside him. Ross looked at the clip he had taken with him to check who he had to go see after.   
Tim wasn’t on his list but he didn’t really cared, he swiftly send a message to the nurse he was affixed to that she didn’t needed to stop by his room. That prompted a short thank you message. Like working bees, the nurses here were always working, always active and visiting patients. Nurse Willis having one less to go by left her with more time to get busy with more important patients.   
Most people would think someone like Tim Drake, heir of Wayne Enterprise and his own family business was important but due to his light injuries, he wasn’t.  
The ride was short, thankfully and he exited the room still with Dick on his heels. He hadn’t really tried to begin a conversation which was fine by Ross’ book but it made him uncomfortable. They passed by a door- room 218, his next visit- guarded by two policemen. That must have caught Dick’s attention.  
“Who is behind the door?”  
“Hm?” Yes, try to act like you don’t know what he is talking about. Play dumb, play possum, Ross.  
“The room being guarded, who is behind it? Must be someone important.”  
“I guess? Data says he had been dropped here yesterday night, by Batman. Guys a drug lord or whatever, but important enough to have policemen in front of his door. Nurses say the Bat of Gotham is going to be here tonight to see what sort of information he can get from him the police is unable to.”  
“He doesn’t want to talk?”  
Ross shook his head and motioned for Dick to get closer as he began to whisper. These sort of stuffs weren’t really information he was supposed to give to civilians but he had the reputation to be gossiping when it was curious, really interesting or peculiarly strange events. Staying in character was important.  
“Oh, he would if he could. But it’s hard when you have a tube down your throat helping you breath. The data says his windpipe had been crushed and with all the broken bones and other injuries he has, he is lucky to be alive. Some peoples say Batman got to him before the one that attacked him do more damages, that the guy ran away. Drug lord here might have upset someone and Batman- and the police- want to know who.”  
He hide how satisfied and how pleasing it had been to hurt that trash to Dick. He had been one of the lesser known drug lord under Jason’s orders and thought it would mean he wasn’t being seen, so he had kept selling to kids, to people who would easily be broken by the drugs. And Jason had been furious. Ross had told him he would get him but Batman had hear him scream and as Ross jabbed his throat to makes him stop, he had to flee. He hadn’t wanted a confrontation with Bruce, not yet.   
Luckily, he had been busy with Drug Lord guy- he wasn’t important enough for Ross to remember his name. Jason did, because it was his business but Ross didn’t cared much- to get him in the hospital.  
This led Ross to take care of his silence as of now. Sure, with his windpipe that damaged he wouldn’t get a word out for some times but the Red Hood and his affairs mustn’t get out of the bag yet. It wasn’t the time. Good thing he worked directly at the Hospital he had been brought in.  
“So Batman is going to be here?”  
Dick asked as if he wasn’t ‘milking’ info from him or at least those Ross was willing to share. It was a classical Bat tactic to do and it would have worked if Ross didn’t knew how it worked nor got the same training as he did. Mostly the same training.  
“Well aren’t you curious mister nice smile.” Ross joked in response. “Should I make you remember I don’t even know your name? You already know mine, so it would be nice to make it even.”  
He looked a bit confused at Ross, which was amusing to see on his face. He surely didn’t met people who don’t know who he was but as far as Ross knew, that might be nice for him.  
“You mean you don’t know me?”  
“I should? Did you go to The Glimmer recently?”  
The Glimmer was a new nightclub that had open recently and Ross had gotten there undercover at least twice. It wouldn’t be hard to find footages of him in the place so talking about it wasn’t going to be suspicious.  
“Not necessarily and no.” he chuckled, shaking his head. He began to resume walking- they had stopped when Ross was focused on being a little gossipy- “But it’s nice. I’m Dick. Dick Grayson.”  
“Grayson? Do you have a parent in Central City or something?”  
“No. So you really don’t know who I am?”  
“Don’t watch the news too often. I prefer other activities. Plus I don’t have a TV.”  
He opened the Room number 239 and was greeted by Tim Drake’s eyes on him, a blue much lighter than Dick’s or than Jason’s who were more teal- Green when it was a bad day- than anything. Clearly, he was looking rather odd next to them, the Robins before him. They all shared the same look- blue eyes, black hairs- and he was so different with his blond hairs and his dull brown eyes it made him a bit self-conscious. For a second. And then he had to remind himself that changes were actually good.  
“Good afternoon, Mister-“ He looked at his clip like he had forgot the name of the person before him, on the bed and looking a bit guilty now that Dick was in the same room. “Wayne?”  
“It’s Drake.” He responded with a soft voice, looking sheepish.  
“Now let’s take a look, ok? If everything looks good you’ll get to leave right after. With crutches. A night in for a slight concussion is enough.”  
He took a small pen-flashlight of his white coat and began to shine it in Tim’s eyes, looking to the irises to see if there weren’t any remnant traces of brain damages.  
“What is 382 plus 183?”  
“565.”  
“Twelve’s letter of the alphabet?”  
“L.”  
“Good. You are coherent and able to resolve simple things. Your brain looks fine.”  
He turned to write something down on his clip while making some space for Dick to come near Tim. He also made it look like he wasn’t interested in their conversation.  
“What the hell, Tim? What happened?”  
“Got in an accident while testing products from the Tech division. The helmet hold together but there is some flaws in the design that needs to be fixed.”  
“You what?”  
It was hilarious how shocked Dick looked. But it was true Tim Drake, heir of Wayne industries wasn’t known being one to test the new technology from his labs. At least he wasn’t caught being Robin. That would have sucked.  
“The habitual tester wasn’t available and I was tempted to do it. Plus I wasn’t hurt that badly, Dick.”  
“Ok you can go home mister Drake. Crutches are going to be given to you in a moment. But please next time you want some excitement in your life, don’t endanger your life. Just go to the theater.”  
“Thank you for the advice, Doctor. I’ll try to follow them.”  
“It’s not an advice, consider it doctor’s orders.”  
“Yes, thank you.”  
“I did nothing. Now if you excuse me, I’m busy with patients who have wounded more than their prides.”  
He ironically tipped a non-existent hat to them both and backtracked to the Drug Lord’s room. He had to show his badge to the policemen but they let him enter, after a slight search to see if he hadn’t hided some weapons on him. He wanted to scoff at that idea. He didn’t needed weapons if his goal had been to hurt what’s his name but that was reassuring to see they did their job.   
Once he was alone in the room, he pulled a syringe out of his coat pocket along with a dose of Propranolol that he plunged into the drop that goes into his vein, humming some tone while doing so. He then took the time to let the product course through his system, by rearranging his bed, looking at the bandages and noting on the pad he found by the bed. The guy- Andrew Malakoff- was really in bad shape and had gotten more damages than Ross thought in the first place. Maybe he had gone a bit too heavily on him. But he had deserved it. He would have deserved to die if Jason hadn’t been so busy.  
Then he got back to the door and got assured it was closed and had time to talk a bit with his patient before it become suspicious. He returned to Malakoff and sat on the bed, near his broken leg.  
“Hello Andrew. Nice to see you look relatively fine.” He said in his Mare Noctem voice. It wasn’t so different from his normal voice; there was just a difference in his tone, which was more playful and slightly uncaring. “How is the throat? No, don’t worry responding to me. It’s not a conversation. It’s a talk where you listen carefully and I explain how everything is going to play for you in the near future.”  
Malakoff’s eyes opened wider than before and there was a glint of fear that was appreciated. Even when hooked to the heart monitor, he could trash or panics all he wanted there would be no change into it. The chemical he had put in his drop assured that. There wasn’t so much he could do but be attentive. Or have a heart attack.  
“So, let’s resume where Batman cut us off, shall we?” He hummed while swaying from left to right, like a child. “You have been naughty, Andy. Naughty enough to have my full attention on you. Where you really thinking you could sell off to kids without us noticing? Red Hood is exasperated by your exactions. But I talked him off of killing you. For now. Because you have under your orders useful peoples. Peoples that are far more useful than you but sadly they only obey to you, Andy. This is why you get to live. A bit broken, a bit wrecked and without a voice for some weeks but still good to go, hm?”  
He stopped moving, focusing entirely on the guy. He didn’t know someone could get that white with so few threats. It was quite funny to see.  
“Batman had gotten curious ‘bout me, a new player who beat the shit out of you in the protection of your office- impressive defenses if I may add, got me two whole minutes to get in- so he is going to be here tonight. You have two choices here: the first is not to tell anything Batman- in your state it would be quite easy- or, second, you snitch and Red Hood is going to makes you pay for that. Because I might not want to kill anyone but he have no such reserves. You understand?”  
Malakoff might be nodding, it was hard to guess with how difficult it looked; not that Ross really cared but it was nice to see he was taking the threat seriously.  
“Good to see it’s all cleared off, then.” He chirped. He got back on his feet and patted down wrinkles on his white coat. “Take a good rest; you’ll need it for your appointment of tonight.”   
He waved goodbye and got to the door, breathing off as he got back to Doctor Aberfort’s persona. After all, he had other patients to go see this afternoon and slacking off wouldn’t be good with his reputation. He returned humming the song that wouldn’t leave his head.  
‘Ain’t no graves can hold my body down,  
There ain’t no grave can hold my body down,  
Well meet me, Jesus, meet me  
Meet me in the middle of the air  
And if these wings don’t fail me  
I will meet you anywhere  
Ain’t no graves can hold my body down,  
There ain’t no grave can hold my body down,  
Well meet me, Mother and Father,  
Meet me down the river road  
And Mama, you know that’ I’ll be there  
When I check in my load.  
Ain’t no graves can hold my body down,  
There ain’t no grave can hold my body down’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:  
> Hurt and comfort.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Those boys, I swear.

“So, how did it go?”  
He asked Jason from the couch where he was lying down as he entered the room by the window. Ross had taken a night off because the last week of work at the hospital had been extremely emotionally taxing. He was only wearing one of Jason’s shirt- because he liked how it smelled and it was reassuring for his oh so paranoid mind- and boxers.   
It was as much skin as he dared to show even if Jason already had seen everything. This should have made Ross self-conscious or even freaks out but it felt relieving not to have to hide who he was under the multiple façades he created.   
Jason looked at him, not at the scars and Ross was doing the same. He had too much respect for Jason to be an insensitive prick toward him. And for the three month they were living and working together, there hadn’t been a massive blow out between them apart from their heated discussion about Tim Drake. If either one was upset enough to be dangerous- either with words or physically- they left to calm down somewhere else and come back with a clear head.  
“Not bad. Blow up some shipments from Black Mask, made him angry.”  
“You hurt?”  
“Nothing major.”  
Ross groaned and got up and feet bears, got to the bathroom where the first aid kit was. He was proud of it as he had furnished it completely and always had a keen eye on it to replenish it whenever it was needed. Just like cleaning, he didn’t felt right leaving the first aid kit get even three quarter empty, didn’t felt safe. Just like he was over controlling of his environment- cleaning, making things tidy and neat, over and over again- he was over controlling about always having something to stitch, to clean and treating injuries or else he wouldn’t feel good enough. Wouldn’t feel protected enough. Of course, it meant the kit was kind of big and not practical to travel with but it wasn’t supposed to.  
The first kit he had made surprised Jason who asked him if it wasn’t too much and Ross had just raised an eyebrow, responding calmly it was just the portative version and was going to put together something more furnished to stay at the principal safe houses they have. The lighter versions where scattered a bit everywhere.  
He put the heavy kit on the table near Jason grunting a bit at the effort. Ok, maybe he overdid it with this one but he would never, ever, give Jason the pleasure of proving he had been wrong on that point. But he was satisfied to see Jay was stripped down- or the part he had been hit on. Gone was the body armor, the helmet and the mask over his eyes. Gone was the Red Hood and Ross was freaking happy to be that close to Jason without him to be on his guard. They trusted each other, both on the field and in what they could call their civilians life.  
“Alright, so you have some cuts, a bullet graze and your ribs will definitely be sore tomorrow morning. But yeah, nothing major. Don’t even need stitches tonight.”  
“That’s a first.” Jason snickered. Yeah, it was but usually he didn’t need a lot of points. Superficial and fast to heal injuries was what he usually get. It was also easy for both of them to avoid more serious injuries due to their training but either one of them being hurt wasn’t a pretty thing.  
Ross dabbed a cotton with antiseptic to dab the cut firsts too wrap them with bandages, butterfly clamps for the bullet graze and some sour smelling cream over his ribs so that it wouldn’t hurt as much tomorrow.  
“What were you watching?”  
Ross raised his head from the tube of cream he was putting back in its little spot in the kit- at its place where it belonged and could be found again quickly. He turned his head to the TV where credits were rolling up the screen, telling him he had missed the end of his film and so the conclusion to a thrilling drama.  
“Jane Eyre.” He mumbled while reorganizing the kit for a bit. “Never saw it before so I took a dip into it. It’s pretty good.”  
“Which version?”  
“The 2011 one.”  
“Were you crying?”  
He vehemently shook his head at that idea, slamming down the lid of the kit and heading to the bathroom to put it back where it belonged. No, he didn’t cried while watching that movie, that was stupid. The great Mare Noctem doesn’t cry in front of a chick flick, no sir! He breaks knees, draws blood and is a mean fighter but crying for a movie? No! He would deny it even with proofs in front of him.  
“You know it’s fine, right?”  
Jason said with a low and soothing voice, having followed Ross to the bathroom where the blond boy had thought he would hide for a moment.  
“Ross? Can you look at me?”  
No, he didn’t want to. But Jason was asking him and even if he wouldn’t press the subject, it was easier to give in immediately. He lifted his head to meet Jason’s eyes a bit reluctantly but when he did, he didn’t saw anything that would indicate Jason was mocking or anything alike. He only saw concern for his little outburst and that was it.  
“It’s ok to cry, whatever the reasons. You don’t need to be ashamed of it, do you understand? You can cry for whatever you want; might be a movie, a dog or a bruise but never think that I will think less of you for doing it, ok?”  
He couldn’t really talk to respond to him so Ross just nodded, kneeling on the hard tiles of the bathroom floor. He felt like such a child now and he would have hid somewhere tight and dark if it wasn’t for Jason’s hand expecting him to take it. So he did and was pulled up by Jason right for a sideway hug and Ross exhaled a shaky breath at how relieving it felt. Comforting. Soothing.  
“Thinking of it-“He began while putting an arm around Jason’s waist to hold him close. “We kind of are fucked up in many ways. So many issues, so many problems. Nobody to help but each other. I just can’t help but wonder what had gone wrong for life to be such a bitch toward us. Why everything wants to bite our asses until we can’t sit.”  
“That would be hypocritical of me to respond to that question and you know it. What we have to do is to continue forward and try to kick Life back as much as we can. Avenge what we can.”  
“That’s something I can do.” Ross snickered in response. “Kicking and biting.”  
“Good. Now to go sleep, you are exhausted.”  
Ross yawned and nodded, pulling himself off of Jason and his warmth. He got to his bed under a minute and didn’t have to count sheep before he was sound asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time:  
> Childish and Blue.
> 
> We are nearly where the Under the Red Hood chronology really begins (after chapter 10, I think.) but Ross added in the equation makes for a pretty deviation in the storyline. What should I do? Stick closely to canon or go the other way with bigger changes coming like the butterfly effect?  
> Your opinion matters!  
> Or if you don't want to post a comment, here is the link to a poll=> https://goo.gl/8abeVx


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actions are taken.

Wind rushed on his face with a whooshing sound and he nearly laughed at how liberating the whole grappling-free falling-grappling again felt. But he didn’t want to alert his prey that he was following them. Discretion and invisibility were key words for Ross, for Mare Noctem and he wasn’t one to get himself known before he wanted to. Fortunately, his prey’s senses weren’t as keen as his own, which he was grateful for.  
Since two weeks ago, words have spread that new big names had popped in Gotham and taken over most of the underworld with mostly non-conventional methods. The Red Hood and his right arm Mare Noctem weren’t to be taken lightly and everyone who tried to double cross them either fall dead or with enough broken bones that the others easily got the message it was a pretty bad idea to try.   
But that wasn’t all he and Jason were doing.   
They also helped into what they called their territory; Crime Alley, the Burrows and several blocks around them, part of the docks. Prostitutes, children and helpless peoples had words on how they were saved by either of them and at what Ross could hear from the Police Radio he had tapped into, police officers were a bit taken aback by this strange comportment.  
Which was funny, to Ross principally, is that they were reluctantly putting ‘Mare Noctem’ in the same fold as Batman and his birds- his methods, while forceful and quite endangering of the criminal he was after wasn’t that different from what the Dynamic Duo was doing. He didn’t killed after all- but they had orders to immediately arrest the Red Hood, by force if necessary. The blond boy hadn’t stopped laughing after hearing that and made a point to remind Jason of it each time they heard the siren of a police car; luckily he was good at dodging and running far from his pissed partner.  
And since two weeks ago they now had to avoid being in the line of sight of Bat&co if they didn’t wanted to have to affront them. Or that was what Jason was doing. He wasn’t ready to make himself known to Bruce and his fold. Ross didn’t care if they caught him because he didn’t really existed, after all.   
This was why he was currently following Nightwing who was in Gotham due to a break out of Arkham. He had joined the city to lend a hand, leaving his city of Blüdhaven for that. It wasn’t strange to see Dick Grayson, prodigy protégé of Bruce Wayne around but it was rare for the black and blue of Nightwing to be sighted these times. Ross has heard about a rift between Bruce and Dick but he wasn’t sure it was the real reason.   
Bruce Wayne- in and out of costume- was a man with a strong presence but who showed rarely affections and trusted people even less. An intense personality combined with a need to be respected and obeyed made a dangerous cocktail and Ross knew he didn’t want to stay with him for too long or he would get crazy.   
Damian Wayne, his son and future Robin/Batman was the same even if less emotionally stunted so Ross was accustomed to these sorts of men. Yet he felt the need to leave after a while, to hide and have his stress and patience level lowered before resurfacing again. The fact they had a high expectation for the people under their care-slash- orders made it difficult to stay sane around them.  
That had led him to try and find his own way, his own self and to get kidnapped. Tortured. When he came back, this comportment had been just what led him to explode and flee the fold. Only to find a Motherbox that leads him into travelling through different Earths.  
He shook these thoughts of his head and made his approach of his prey, careful as ever. He didn’t knew what opinion the first Robin had of him and wasn’t quite ready to take a beating just because he tried to be helpful. He had heard of how much those pretty escrima sticks hurts, after all. So when Nightwing stopped in his track, Ross took a venture point to be at his advantage and waited until he was sure he wasn’t talking to either Oracle or Batman. Then he acted.  
“What a night, isn’t it?”  
Nightwing twirled at the unknown voice, sticks in hands and shifting to be in a combat position. Ross was sitting a meter above him, one leg under him like he hadn’t taken one of the best vigilant by surprise and not looking directly at him.  
“Mare Noctem, I presume?”  
“Wow. You know my name. I’m honored, sir. And, uh, it wasn’t ironic or sarcastic. Just genuinely happy about that.”  
“What do you want?”  
He hadn’t quitted his fighting stance but shifted so that he could strike Ross more easily if he wanted to. And Ross let him because while he could surely outrun him, he couldn’t fight back.  
“If you search Double Face you are in the wrong direction. He took a car to some place in the eastern part of Gotham. For Riddler, he got to an abandoned theater just two hours ago. Seems like an old place of him he hadn’t gone for some times so I don’t think Batman would think about that one. Poison Ivy had been seen near a greenhouse not far from Arkham. She probably thought you’d guess she would make a run for it like the others, so she’s staying low profile on that one.”  
“Why telling me that?” The confusion was easy to tell in his tone. Even if he was still wary of him, Nightwing hadn’t tried to attack him and was probably memorizing the information so he could run them by Oracle before he and Batman took care of the villains.   
Ross shrugged, leg swaying childishly.  
“Because I am after Scarecrow and don’t want to have to care about these guys? They are dangerous but Crane is not someone I want near our territory-” his and Red Hood’s. Nightwing seemed to make the connection and he bears a new crease between his eyes. “- and I’ve heard he was going to set up a lab there so I need to bust him out of his hidey hole before he got to the Burrows. It’s both to help the people in this neighborhood and for a selfish reason.”  
“Which is?”  
“I don’t want to know what the Fear Gas would make me see.”  
The absolute coldness of the tone surprised even Ross who shivered a little. That wasn’t a tone he liked and he was afraid it made Nightwing more wary of him. But he wasn’t lying when he had said that. The Fear Gas brings all the hidden fears, the terrors you hide deep in your unconscious for the strongest mixture and he wasn’t ready at all to discover them.  
“Say.”  
He looked back at Nightwing with curiosity and saw he had put back his escrima sticks on their holders.  
“How long?”  
“Excuse me?”  
“How long were you following me?”  
Ross laughed at this and jumped to be on the roof near Nightwing, taking off the gas mask to reveal a happy smile. He wasn’t going to take off his goggles or even the mask under it but it felt nice to show a bit of emotions to someone like him.  
“Not long. Just until I knew I could talk to you ‘mano a mano’ without anyone bursting in.”  
“Like Batman?”  
Ross made a face at this comment and shuffled a bit. He wasn’t ready to go on that territory. Not yet anyway.  
“Yeah. He is too scary for me, I don’t really want him to find me when I don’t want him to.”  
“Afraid of Batman while working with someone like the Red Hood?”  
A shrug while juggling with the gas mask. Of course Dick wouldn’t understand what made Ross so hesitant about meeting or even being near the Bat of Gotham. He didn’t even know that the Red Hood was Jason, the Robin who died.  
“You are a strange guy, Noctem.”  
Ross snickered before walking to the edge of the building.  
“Thanks. And don’t worry for the info, they are correct. I have neither means nor business lying to you. It would be pointless and useless. Also I prefer having them tucked neatly in a cell then roaming around making a mess.”  
“Clean freak much?”  
“If you want.”  
And after putting back his mask he pulled out his grappling gun before firing a line at the building in front of him making a mock salute for Nightwing before jumping away, being careful the man didn’t follow after him. He felt a strange taste at the back of his mouth for being so cheerful about someone being so vehement at disliking Jason just because he and the Bat had a disaccord on something and the young boy became Robin after him.   
While it wasn’t pure hate, Dick had made a point at being rather absent and unappreciative of Jason. Until he had died and the first boy wonder realized how childish he had been and how he had thrown away the occasion to both being a secure and warm presence for a boy as traumatized as Jason by his previous life and gives him enough help so he wouldn’t run after the mirage of a loving mother just to be broken, killed and brought back in such way.  
It was strange how he wanted to run to him to find back the comfort that had been torn off from him but also to can’t stand being near him and his too easy smiles. This duality was making his head spin and he wondered what would have been their life if ever Dick had been closer to Jason and if he hadn’t died.  
Of course, Ross knew it was useless to think of what could have happened because Fixated points in the Time Stream weren’t meant to be disturbed or the consequences would be a real catastrophe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time:  
> Time to Panic™


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> White lilies, white lies.

Ephemeral. Short and brutal. Life had no pity for those who couldn’t protect themselves and the one who tried to escape this truth were crushed without mercy.  
The heavy scent of blood was sickening but the worst was the broken bodies of the children in front of him. Despite his speed, he had been too late. Despite all of his capacities, twelve children had been killed without him being able to do anything against it. His fists clenched at his sides as he breathed profoundly, trying to stop his body from shaking too much.  
He knew by being a vigilante he couldn’t help everyone, that some people would die on his watch but it was never something he liked, especially when defenseless persons, child’s lives were at stake. Never when it meant things could grow entirely wrong in a second and everything you expect won’t happen does, and everything you try to do are just a scream in an endless void.  
Even though his whole body was trembling at the sight before him, at the horrible truth burned into his eyes, it was useless to stay there longer. He had pitched the GCPD when he had learned about the place but now there was nothing more to be done, his presence wasn’t needed. He will leave the guards moaning, body broken with little chances of walking or using a member again and the corpses of their victims.   
Hot rage was boiling in him and all he wanted now was to kill them mercilessly, to make them suffer and regret their acts. But that would make his promise void and he wouldn’t give them the pleasure of breaking one of the constants of his life. Instead something really twisted into his mind was whispering to him to take them somewhere far away from here and teach them how cutting through one’s body had to be done. Slowly. Delicately. So they wouldn’t die for a long time and suffer for the horrible act they had done here.  
Thinking like this made him sick. It was wrong yet sounded so right.  
He didn’t knew what to think. What to do. Except...  
He exited the place by a window, not even caring about being discreet or invisible, guilt raging alongside the hate of those disgusting beings, lesser than humans, nothing more than beasts, monsters. And hate, guilt for himself for being unable to stop them or get here sooner. He quickly held back a sob, his whole body shuddering at his steel hand over his emotions. It was ridiculous. Stupid. He was a shame.  
The noise of pebbles being walked on behind him made Ross turn to see Nightwing approaching him slowly. No weapons had been drawn which was a good thing but he couldn’t stand it. Couldn’t stand his presence right now, his whole reassuring act, that casual walk who seemed to tell him everything will be ok. He just had kids been killed nearly in front of him and he wasn’t sure he could tolerate Dick Grayson’s personality.  
“Do not move any closer, I am not in the mood for a chitchat.”  
Nightwing stopped, probably due to the coldness of Ross’ tone and held his hands to show him he wasn’t going to attack, away from any easily drawn weapons he had on him. What an idiot. What a boy scout. Nightwing couldn’t have saved these kids any more than Ross, he was as bad as their killers. Being all sweet and comprehensive would only put coal in the already burning pit of his thirst for violence.   
“I wanted to ask if you were o-“  
Ross didn’t even see his hand moving on its own will and throwing the knife before it already flew past Nightwing, only a few centimeters short off his head, perfect throw made to intimidate and make an enemy back away. But that felt wrong, he reacted automatically to it and that showed how mentally shaken he was right now, not wanting any other interruptions be it from Dick Grayson or anyone else.  
“What did I tell you?!”  
“Noctem-”  
“Shut your mouth and back down. I don’t want to hear anything from someone who most likely didn’t cared about homeless kids being taken to a place like this.”  
Ross didn’t know he could be so venomous but he didn’t cared. He didn’t care; he had failed to protect those innocent and their blood where on his hands, now. He couldn’t go back on that, couldn’t rewrite what had happened and it was disgustingly unbearable.  
He wanted to throw up.  
Needed to throw up but couldn’t.  
Couldn’t show weaknesses right now.  
Nightwing looked rather put off but Ross didn't cared about it, not when innocent lives had been savagely destroyed.  
"Noctem. Don't blame yours-"  
"Shut up!.  
"We can't save everyone."  
"I told you to shut up."  
That wasn't right. Everything was wrong. Why was he still talking to him? Why was he still pushing when he clearly saw how unstable he was right now?  
He needed to go.  
He needed to go, he needed to go, he needed to go. Right now.  
"I don't even know why you are here talking to me. We aren't in the same team, we have different objective. Hell, you should just handcuff me to makes me spit Hood's location. Not being a damn goodie-two-shoes." Ross snarled, walking back until he got to the edge of the building. "It's not because I got you a lead on a case once that I will not hesitate to beat the crap out of you if you don't leave me alone."  
"Is that what you want?"  
Hesitation. That broke him out of his mental fustigation for a moment.  
Was that really what he wanted? To alienate Nightwing and thus nearly everyone who knew him in the hero community? No, probably no. But he couldn’t bear it, his skin was crawling and his mind hazy. He needed to go or he would puke and makes a fool of himself. He turned his back to Dick and got his grapple-gun ready before he leaped away. He just now realised he never answered the question, but he was just too frantic to care right now.   
He took only a few minutes to arrive to his nearest safehouse, a rundown apartment who was only good as storage and not suitable as a living space. It will do.   
He climbed in by the window after deactivating his security and falled in a heap on the floor, breathing uneven and limbs weak. He was feeling so nauseous right now. The trip to the bathroom took more time than he thought even though he shredded off his uniform before stumbling awkwardly near the yellowish porcelain of the toilets. Gripping tight in sweating hands and heavily breathing through his mouth to fight the urge to scream or throw up even if he really needed it.   
Sobs shook his figure and tears began to fall. Noises came from his mouth, weak and disgusting. How could he? How could he have left those poor kids to die? For their body to finish mangled, torn apart, their blood to be spilled on that dirty floor. For their laugh to never resonate in a house ever, for their games to be left unfinished. Their family would just have an empty space, too broken to be filled ever again and it was his fault. For not being fast enough, good enough, a good enough Robin. He was a shame to the name.   
His shaking made him lose his grip on the toilet and he fall on the hard, cold tiles hiccuping and pulling his hairs until his skull began to hurts too.   
He sobbed for what looked several hours but when he raised slowly on his elbow, tears still flowing on his cheeks but having calmed down a little bit he realised it had not lasted as long as it seemed. Time perception was a fleeting thing he still had a hard time comprehend but he was still glad nobody was here to see his breakdown.   
His skin was still crawling.  
He needed to clean himself, until his skin was raw, until his body throbbed from a physical ache stronger than how is mind lanced him.  
Getting up was a trial on its own but he managed to grovel to the tiny shower and finish to take his clothes off, turning on the water at the same time. It was cold on his back, icy on his skin but he didn’t cared, didn’t really felt it as the water pounded his skull and chased his fears and tears away. The sound of the water hitting the hard tiles under him was resonating, loud and imperious until he couldn’t hear his own ragged breathing or anything outside the bathroom.   
Something in his mind was trying to claws its way out but it was too far away for Ross to know what it was or to really care about it.   
The cold was- _is_ punishment.  
The cold is what he feels all the time.  
He didn’t deserved warmth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:  
> Coffee, more lies and comfort.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to relax?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for leaving kudos and commenting on my fanfiction! It means a lot to me and I am always happy and excited to know what you thought of it.  
> Special thank you to Lady-ofthelake on deviantart for being here for me all the time and dealing with my bullshits!

He was woken up by a gentle hand on his shoulder, gripping him softly yet he reacted as he had been attacked. Swatting the hand and throwing his legs around the person’s neck in a chokehold, one of his hand goes for his knife when he remembered they were in his pants, who was somewhere in the room and not on him. A grunting resonated around his tights.  
“Ross, wake up! It’s me.”  
It jolted him from his half-asleep state and relaxed his grip, sliding down on the floor. Swiping a hand on his eyes to focus, Ross groaned as the light stabbed him in the retina.  
"What the hell?"  
"I've been calling you for half an hour and you weren't moving or responding. Then you lashed out."  
That made Ross confused. What Jason talking about? He always woke up immediately when someone was calling him even when he was really sick, this didn't seemed normal. But after what happened yesterday, it was a good excuse for being slightly late in his reactions. But he didn't knew why the light hurts his eyes seeing it wasn't strong or in his face. He had to keep squinting to be tolerable.  
"Can't you let a man sleep?"  
"Not when you haven't given news last night and disappeared suddenly. I searched you all morning."  
Jason looked disappointed and it made Ross feel guilty about it. The older man was right. He should have called, or at least gives the coordinates of this safe house. It was weird to think like that for his more independent part of his psyche but that was something they had agreed on in case Ross got captured and needed immediate help. His head lowered as he chewed his lower lip, belly going tight.  
He hadn't wanted Jason to be deceived yet he didn't wanted him to know about his breakdown. It was kind of difficult to council these two part of himself; being honest enough to keep his trust and lie enough to be free to disappear if he needed it.  
"I'm not mad at you, Ross. I was just worried."  
Ross only nodded, conscious he was only wearing his shirt and his boxer after his shower of yesterday and it made him feel fragile and weak. Useless.  
"Wanna get back to the apartment? I'm going to cook you something, this place is bare of food and you must be starving."  
"It's an understatement, Jay." He joked, taking Jason's hand and pulling himself up, trotting to find his gears so he could be decently clothed. They were scattered around the apartment and that must tell something about his state of mind, but sensibly, Jason said nothing. Ross wasn't normally messy and his clothes were all in one place, usually folded neatly which was great for someone like Jason who, albeit not as much of a clean freak as Ross, didn't liked a messy place. But making him talk about what was bothering him would just makes him close like a clam.  
Ross was glad Jason was sensitive enough not to make him uncomfortable even if he did wanted to ask questions. But Ross didn't knew why he had reacted so badly or why he was feeling jittery and out of his own skin. Most of his clothing passing as civvies, he was ready to leave the place in no time with Jason, who had took a car. Bless this man.  
Closing the passenger door, Ross searched the glove holder to retrieve a pair of sunglasses he puts on his eyes, effectively making his vision hurts less. What a relief.  
"I want a coffee." He said out of the blue.  
"You don't drink coffee." Jason dubiously responded.  
"Maybe but I need some. I feel like shit."  
Jason growled at that but managed to find a place to stop his car not far from a coffee shop and Ross bolted out of it as if the devil was after him. He really needed something for his nerves. Luckily for him, there weren't a lot of customers in the place and he was rapidly at the counter where he asked for latte macchiato with enough sugar to give an elephant diabetes. He was waiting for his cup when someone tapped him on the shoulder lightly.  
"Doctor Aberfort?"  
Ross made a face before turning to see who had bothered him, aware of the fact he had jumped by surprise, to see Timothy Drake before him.  
Surprise surprise.  
"You are... Tom Decker, right?"  
This time, it was the others turn to make a face. Ross felt extremely pleased with himself for that.  
"Actually, it's Tim. Tim Drake. I never thought meeting you here. "  
"Well, I've heard they were making a coffee good enough to wake up the dead, so I decided to try."  
This was a perfectly logical explanation, right? Right. The cashier called his name and he goes to take it, followed by Tim.  
"I'm sorry if I bother you but I wanted to tell you my thanks for last time."  
"I did nothing more than liberating you when you weren't needing to stay any longer."  
"Other doctors would have let me stay because of who I am and how much advertising they could get from it."  
"I don't need to get famous. I need money to live. Now if you excuse me, my cousin is waiting for me."  
Tim looked dumbfounded as he arched an eyebrow.  
"You have a family?"  
Ross snickered.  
"No, doctors reproduce by mitosis."  
Tim looked a bit awkward after that.  
"Sorry. I assumed-"  
"-well stop that. Now if you excuse me, I have somewhere to go."  
And he made his leave, climbing back into the car while making sure Tim wouldn't be able to see or recognize Jason.  
"Do you have the hellhounds at your ass?" Jason asked jokingly.  
"Worse." Ross responded. "Tim Drake."  
Cursing from Jason as he get back on the road toward their shared apartment. Even if it wasn't really logical, Ross couldn't help but think he was plagued by bad luck recently and wondered if he had vexed any divinity in the past few days.  
Apparently no but that was creepy to think about.  
"Did he asked something?" Jason questioned, hands clenching tight the steering wheel as if to control himself.  
"Not particularly. I'm sure he only knows me by 'doctor Ross Aberfort' and that is enough for me."  
"Strangely, Nightwing asked some people if they had seen you, yesterday in the Burrows."  
"I don't know what you are talking about."  
Jason looked at him from the corner of his eye and sighed, relaxing his grips on the steering wheel.  
"Look, I gather you don't want to talk about it but if you hurted him-"  
"-It missed! I swear, it missed. I sure have thrown a knife his way but I hadn't touched him."  
"Ross..." Jason sounded deceived. "Was it because of your mission last night?"  
"I... I don't want to talk about it. Please, Jason..."  
"They are all dead. They will never be able to kill another kid anymore."  
"... Thank you..."  
He had a small voice and wasn't looking at Jason, still but he felt just a little better. Knowing those monsters will not be able to roam the city and torture any other kids made Ross feel relieved. He also knew that wouldn't be something Bruce, Dick nor Tim would understand, being freed from a living nightmare who had the possibility to get out of jail as easily as breathing.  
It helped people knows they could go out without fear, without the knowledge you could get killed at any moment of you day. The kids parents would have that, even if it couldn't bring back their child.  
"I'm sorry..." he added, a few seconds after, gripping his cup of coffee tightly. "For how I acted. I should have called you or even leave a message... I was freaking out and fled. I always do that..."  
"Ross-"  
"I'm a coward, Jason! I don't need you to pardon me, I know I fucked up!"  
"Stop that!"  
Jason growled, parking the car in a parking near their apartment. He cut the motor and turned to Ross.  
"You reacted like a fucking human being! Want me to blame someone? Why not the psychos who kidnapped twelve childs and decided to cut them to have a good laugh? Or, heck, Batman for not even knowing they had been kidnapped in the first place and just sent Nightwing because he thought it wasn't important enough for him?! You did nothing wrong." He hammered while placing a hand on Ross' shoulder, tight enough to be present but not to bruise. "And if you think the contrary, then you are a moron!"  
Ross felt raw, like he had been skinned and got salt in his flesh. It still hurts inside but Jason understood, he was so compassionate, so strong willed. He couldn't help but sob, feeling tears swelling up and dangerously close from falling. He felt pathetic, too but for always making Jason worry or take care of him like a child.  
"Alright, let's get you something warm to eat." He added while taking Ross' cup of coffee and getting out of the car, opening the passenger side for Ross to get out too and leading him inside the building. They hadn't exchanged a word in the elevator or in the hallway but once the door opened and Ross was able to shut the blinds and take his sunglasses off, he turned toward Jason to rest his forehead against his powerful back.  
"It's so difficult, Jason. I move forward, headstrong yet I hate myself so much."  
"Ross-"  
The blond cut Jason.  
"Just let me wallow in self-pity just today, please. I need that."  
Jason turned to put his hand on top of Ross' head.  
"Ok. For as long as you want."  
"That's not really possible for one of us." Ross snickered. "But thanks anyway. It's appreciated."  
And he just let himself relax in the strong presence of Jason, whom he considered a brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time:  
> Are all changes good?


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mistakes are made. Again.

What he liked with the prostitutes was their high tolerance to his vocabulary and the fact they shamelessly were physical with him. Not in an inappropriate way of course. It was light touches, hair ruffling and sometimes full blown hugs but they made sure not to overwhelm the blond boy as he made his nightly visit without Jason.  
Ross liked these women- and sometimes men- and was actively making sure nothing had happened to them without his knowledge.   
"You know, that was pretty awesome of you to take care of Jill's Johns. She is happy to be able to keep more cash for her kid." Flora, a middle aged woman told him one night.  
"Yes, Noctem. Even if she had to find another regular to round things up, it's great to know she can actually spend more time with him." This time it was a petite brunette whose name was Gloria. To Ross' opinion, she gave the best hugs of them all.   
"Anything going on, since last time?" He asked, brushing off their compliments and praises.   
"Not really." Gloria responded "Except for maybe more eyesight of Bats around. He come maybe twice a week."  
That could be problem in the long-term but Ross was confident everything would be fine for the time being. After all, Batman had a bigger territory than Red Hood and himself. That didn’t meant they couldn’t get caught by the bat, that just lowered the chances of it happening.   
“You’ll tell me if he comes by more frequently, right?”  
Flora and Gloria giggled, then the third prostitute who was with them- they never told their name so they were just known as ‘Silence’- ruffled his hair.  
“Of course, pretty bird. Our lips are sealed about you, too so don’t worry.”  
“I don’t…” he grumbled as he took off to the roof with his grapple gun, landing with more flare than habitual as he knew they were still looking at him. And of course, he liked to impress them, like a total show-off. He heard them whistle after him and that made him smile widely before focusing back on getting through the city without slipping and landing somewhere bad. Or end up a red splat on the pavement.   
Of course worrying was something he was going to do. He wasn’t stupid enough to get himself relax by the fact Batman deemed it useless to have a talk with him yet. Or maybe he just wasn’t important enough unlike Jason, unlike the Red Hood.   
But if he really thought about it, he would prefer to get caught by Bruce than having Jason taken away from him, even more when the other boy wasn’t ready himself for the confrontation. They had planned everything, even the most improbable details yet they were still ways for them to mess up everything.No plans were perfect even when people with their training were the ones to put it together. There was too unknown factors that could come up and ruin it all.   
If they could keep it up and somehow done without getting caught, they would be able to do so much good with Gotham in the long term. And get rid of the Joker ultimately.   
He was halfway through the Bowery when he felt the hairs on the back of his head rise uncomfortably and he gritted his teeth while making a perfect reception on a rooftop as he let whoever followed him to catch up. He knew he could outrun anyone if he puts his mind into it but tonight he was in a good mood so he stopped running to crouch down, taking his binoculars to survey his surroundings. As if he had planned everything Or as if he didn’t knew he had been followed.  
Damian told him that every move he made had to have a purpose or be seen that way so he could live his life as being Ross without troubles being recognized as Robin. He learned that lesson well and mastered it.  
He didn’t felt comfortable with it though but he squashed that deep down as the person stopped behind him but not close enough for Ross to retaliate without using one of his throwing knives.   
So he turned around slightly, lowering his binocular to look at who was bothering him this night. He was probably a bit surprised to see Robin instead of Nightwing but that didn’t stopped Ross from frowning at this obvious change in whatever storyline the Tim of his Earth had talked him through before.   
Tim should have been beaten to a pulp by Jason- which he stopped him to do and had probably be a mistake all in all, but he couldn’t resolve himself for thinking that. It had always seemed like a wrong move to lash out on Tim and Jason had now a slightly better chance to be seen as someone who didn’t attack innocent. It was worth it. It was worth it.- but that meant it had changed the timeline ever so slightly.   
Which in his opinion could either be a good thing or lead to a catastrophic event.   
For the time being, he would be walking on eggshells because messing with the timeline, even to correct what he thought had been bullshit through and through could have disastrous consequences. Like messing with his own future life or something.  
“Well, if that isn’t the little Bird. What do you want.”  
Yeah, that was probably disdain on Robin’s face just now. Or distrust. Both where correct answers considering what Ross was doing with Jason and how rumors spread fast.  
“shouldn’t you be attacking me?”  
“Shouldn’t you?” Ross rhetorically called back. “I’m basically your enemy and you want a chit-chat?”  
He scoffed a bit while shifting his stance to be more comfortable. He didn’t knew if he could take on Tim all by himself. Shake him off and run away, sure but full front attack wasn’t an option.   
“I expect that from Nightwing but not from you.” He added, frowning a little.   
“I need to understand. Why are you working for the Red Hood? Are you a mercenary? There is nothing about you anywhere-”  
“What a relief. I am pretty shy about my personal life” he snickered. “I’ll be nice with you and respond to your questions. Firstly, I don’t work for the Red Hood. I work with him. Secondly? Do you really think I’m paid? Nah. I’m benevoling.”  
“That doesn’t make any senses!” Robin exclaimed. “You must have a reason to do that! If it’s not for the money, then why?”  
“Because someone have to care for him.”   
That surprised both of them. That shouldn’t have come out. This was really too personal and unnecessary. Even if it was the truth, that could jeopardize everything if miscalculated.   
“You really think he can manage all Gotham’s underworld by himself? Well, yes. In fact he can but the point is, but taking care of the little fries is my part of the job. Meaning he only have to focus on the big names and everything will crumbles under his might.”  
That might seem a little bit fanatic all things considered but now it was pointless to get back on what he said. He already gave his words to Jason to help him control Gotham’s underworld and put his plan in motion. Batman wasn’t going to know what hits him until it’s too late and then the Joker would be no more.  
“Your plan will never work, Mare Noctem.”   
“We’ll see, Robin. After all, we already have three-fourth of Gotham’s underworld at our control. Black Mask is going down and Batman, Nightwing or you can’t do anything against it.”  
Ross raised on his feet and stepped toward Robin who walked back by precaution.  
“And there is nothing you can do but follow the movement. Soon, Gotham will be purged of her rotten core and Batman will not be needed anymore. Tell him not to cross path with us. I’m not sure you want Bruce’s reputation to takes a toll, right?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time:  
> Panic on you, panic! on your cow.

**Author's Note:**

> Next time:  
> A talk happen and Jason learn more about this boy who knows too much.


End file.
